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July 2018

July 11, 2018

What’s in a (Sacred) Story? Meditating on the Mysteries of Your Faith

To be a mystic is to be the explorer of both Divine and human mysteries...

May 2018

May 26, 2018

Learning to Love the “Habit” of Spirituality

We human beings are creatures of habit. We brush our teeth in the same direction,...

May 16, 2018

Just What is Contemplation, Anyway? And Why Should I Care?

A Jesuit priest, a Trappist monk, and a Tibetan buddhist walked into a bar. (No,...

May 02, 2018

What’s the difference between Ignatian Spirituality and Centering Prayer?

What is the difference between centering prayer and Ignatian spirituality? To answer this question, let's...

March 2018

March 20, 2018

What to Do When Prayer Gets Dull

A reader writes: Hi Carl, hope you're well. Just wanted to pick your brain again!...

March 06, 2018

Periodicals That Contemplatives Will Enjoy

Yesterday I received this message: Hi, Mr. McColman, Quick question. Are there any periodicals, journals,...

January 2018

January 11, 2018

Everyone is Called to Union with God

About ten years ago I had a conversation with an elderly Trappist monk about the book...

December 2017

December 08, 2017

The Call to Move “Beyond” What is Safe and Familiar

Today's post is by guest contributor Mark S. Burrows, who is a poet and an...

August 2017

August 23, 2017

What I learned from the Solar Eclipse

I don't remember much about the spring of 1970, when I was in the third...

June 2017

June 06, 2017

Sacred Rhythms: How Monastic Spirituality Can Nurture Your Walk with God

Would you like to learn more about the beautiful spirituality of Christian monks and nuns?

April 2017

April 14, 2017

Richard Rohr on the Spirituality of Unknowing (Video)

Here's a treat for all you Richard Rohr fans (and if you're not a Rohr...

April 10, 2017

Is it possible to be a “Do It Yourself” Christian Mystic? Evelyn Underhill would say “No” — and I agree with her

Nearly all Christian mystics maintain that an essential characteristic of Christian mysticism is participation in the Body...

April 07, 2017

Compass Points for the Spiritual Life (Video)

How do we orient ourselves in the life of the Spirit? What landmarks, or directions,...

January 2017

January 06, 2017

Encountering Jesus through Questions in the Gospels

Saint Teresa of Ávila, one of the greatest of Christian mystics, understood clearly that the...

October 2016

October 03, 2016

Instructions on Prayer from a Trappist Monk

"I'm speechless," remarked Brother Elias Marechal, OCSO, after a congregation of several hundred young evangelicals vigorously applauded...

July 2016

July 14, 2016

The Place of Joy in Christian Spirituality

What is the relationship between prayer and joy? If we enjoy our prayer, does that...

May 2016

May 17, 2016

“We have been given the Holy Spirit”

Jesus returned to Nazareth, the town where he had been brought up. And on the...

January 2016

January 06, 2016

Seven Reasons to Pray the Divine Office

Everyone knows that monks devote their lives to silence, but also to daily prayer and...

October 2015

October 21, 2015

#1 on Amazon!

Okay, I know this is a "big fish in a small pond" moment. Indeed, it's...

September 2015

September 17, 2015

Happy St. Hildegard’s Day!

One of the most colorful and remarkable of mystics, of any age, is the irrepressible...

September 16, 2015

Thirteen Characteristics of Healthy Spirituality

Following the passing of Anglican contemplative theologian Kenneth Leech, I've been revisiting several of his...

September 09, 2015

The Fear of the Lord and the Love of God

As a young man growing up in the American south, I heard the phrase "God...

June 2015

June 12, 2015

What Has Not Yet Been Revealed

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is I John 3:2. Here is a lectio divina meditation...

June 10, 2015

The Rule, the Discipline, and Spiritual Growth

I bet if I took a poll, almost everyone who reads my blog would agree...

April 2015

April 24, 2015

When Contemplation Feels Like Dying

"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:3)....

March 2015

March 23, 2015

Rocking Justice & Spirituality: Like the Two Movements of the Breath

When I met the Anglican writer Kenneth Leech, who is one of my heroes, he...

February 2015

February 05, 2015

Befriending Silence: My Book on Cistercian Spirituality

Dear friends, I'm excited to announce the title and subject of my forthcoming book. In...

May 2014

May 10, 2014

A Prayer for the Morning

Beautiful God, Blessed Trinity, I thank you for the gift of this new day. O...

December 2013

December 10, 2013

Keeping Spirituality Grounded

One of the pitfalls of contemplative practice is that we can easily get stuck in...

October 2013

October 22, 2013

The Fullness of Our Destiny

I picked up a copy of an old book called The Laughter of God: At Ease...